Jets training camp begins July 23, with players reporting to Cortland, N.Y. At that point, we will start to get a clearer idea about what the Jets might look like in 2014, as they attempt to reach the playoffs for the first time in four years.

Until camp starts, players are relaxing, recuperating, and maintaining their bodies in preparation for the season.

In the meantime, as we do our own training camp prep here on our humble website, we are analyzing each of the Jets’ positions—stars, lower-profile guys, strengths, weaknesses, stats, and everything in between.

5 – Interceptions the Jets got from their safeties last season. Ed Reed had three, Landry one and Allen one, which he returned for a touchdown (the Jets’ only pick six). The Jets, as a team, ranked 23rd in the NFL with 13 interceptions, two more than they had in 2012.

OVERVIEW

The Jets wanted to get a more disruptive presence in the middle of their secondary. So they drafted Pryor in the first round, when they had a need at cornerback and there were still good cornerbacks available. The way they see it, a hard-hitting, ball-hawking safety can set the tone for a secondary. Pryor can definitely hit. His coverage skills remain less certain. But what is clear is that he will play a significant role in the Jets’ secondary.

In coach Rex Ryan’s first three seasons, the Jets had eight, 24 and 15 interceptions. In passing yards allowed, they ranked first, sixth and fifth. In 2012, they again did not pick off a ton of passes, just 11, but still finished second in the league in passing yards allowed. Last season, with cornerback Darrelle Revis gone, the Jets dipped to 22nd in the NFL in passing defense.

The Jets no longer have an elite corner like Revis to build their secondary’s success around. They are hoping that if corner Dee Milliner can take a big step from Year 1 to Year 2, and Dimitri Patterson can capably handle the other corner spot, the presence of Pryor will add an another dynamic to the secondary that it missed last season.

Yes, last season the Jets had future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed, a midseason free agent pickup. But even though Reed got three picks, he looked a step slow at times. The Jets let him walk in free agency this offseason, showing what they thought about his ability to help them going forward.

It will be intriguing to see how often the Jets use three-safety looks this year. Landry is a smart, steady, but unspectacular player. Still, his presence on the field is important, because he knows Rex Ryan’s defense so well. Allen is more of an in-the-box safety, strong against the run but perhaps less so in coverage – similar to Pryor. So how will Ryan make all the pieces fit together and work?

Training camp has yet to begin, so projecting Pryor and Landry as the starters, as we did above, probably is a bit premature. But for the purposes of this exercise, and based on how much Ryan raved about Pryor during offseason workouts, it seems logical that Ryan, at least initially, will want Landry on the field as a veteran, guiding presence for Pryor.

Allen showed glimpses of potential last season. He had a pick six in the Jets’ win over the Patriots, when he did an admirable job of covering tight end Rob Gronkowski. But Allen is still mostly unproven as an every-down NFL starting safety.

Last season, Pro Football Focus rated Landry 48th among safeties, and Allen 59th. In coverage, they were 56th and 79th, respectively. Against the run, Allen was 11th, Landry 12th.

But the Jets this offseason did not need to address their run defense. That was a perfectly fine part of their team last season. Pass defense merited attention. Thus, the first-round selection of Pryor. He might not take the Jets’ secondary back to its dominant years, when they had Revis. But they are counting on him to help this group improve.